The present invention relates to an electrophotographic copying apparatus and, more particularly, to an electrophotographic copying apparatus which prevent a misplacements of toner or transfer failures caused by the fact that a copy sheet attracted to and delivered on an insulating film is displaced from the insulating film when the copy sheet begins to be fed between fusing rollers.
Conventionally, when a leading end of a copy sheet abuts against fusing rollers, with a portion of the copy sheet which is electrostatically attracted to an insulating film being stationarily held, a force in a direction opposite to a direction of delivery of the copy sheet is exerted on a free portion of the copy sheet at the leading end side where it abuts against the fusing rollers so that the free portion is bent. When copy sheet has previously been deformed, the sheet can be bent by a slight force. When the copy sheet is bent, and when a component force of the above-mentioned force in a direction to cause the copy sheet to be separated from the insulating film becomes larger than a force of electrostatic attraction by the insulating film, separation of the copy sheet is further induced, thereby resulting in misplacements of toner of transfer failures.
In Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 56-57069, an apparatus is proposed wherein means for mechanically holding a leading end of a copy sheet, such as claw clamping means, are provided in feeder means of an insulating film, to thereby prevent the copy sheet from being displaced due to the separation from the film during the transfer operation.
In the conventional apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 56-57069, the means for mechanically holding the leading end of the copy sheet are provided in the copy sheet feeder means of the insulating film, and, as a result, the apparatus is complicated and large in size.